By SAM LANCE
O’FALLON, IL — Few teams in the country are more well coached and connected than Fishers (IN). The defending 4A state champions are undefeated on the season, and during the Bank of O’Fallon shootout, Fishers throttled Peoria Manual (IL), 85-55, while putting on a impressive display of passing and sharing the wealth.
The engine that drives it all? Top-25 sophomore point guard Jason Gardner Jr. — who scored 10 points and dished out nine assists in the win on Saturday.
Gardner Jr. — the 6-foot-1, 185-pound point guard — is the son of former Arizona standout Jason Gardner. His father scored over 20 points per game during the 2001-02 season and was IndyStar’s Mr. Basketball in 1999, as well as a McDonald’s All-American. He’s now an assistant coach at Arizona, and Gardner Jr. has taken an unofficial visit to see the program.
“It’s on the west coast,” Gardner Jr. said of the Arizona program. “I’m from Indiana, so it’s real cold. Arizona is real hot so it’s different. But I just like how [the coach] has a good offense. Tommy Lloyd, he knows how to get players to where they want to be. And then their gym is also probably one of the biggest gyms in the country. They hold some of the biggest fans, and it was really good to see that.”
Arizona hasn’t offered Gardner Jr. yet, but he does have offers from programs like Cincinnati, DePaul, Indiana, IU Indy, Morehead State, Notre Dame and Purdue. He’s also hearing from Alabama, Dayton, Florida, Michigan, Virginia and Xavier and has visited DePaul, Cincinnati, Indiana, Notre Dame and Purdue unofficially.
Here’s his breakdown of the programs he’s seen:
DePaul: “I went to their campus a little bit ago. I like their campus a lot because it’s kind of like an off-brand New York. You’re outside a lot and the houses around it are like original houses. They are different and that’s what I like about it. And everyone is like brushed up together. So that’s why I kind of look at it like a little New York Style.”
Indiana: “I still have three more years until I make my decision, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of schools change. Obviously, [Mike] Woodson is stepping down after this year and I don’t know who’s going to be the next coach. But what I like about IU, I went to one of their games. When that game’s packed, it’s a really big gym. Their arena is a little different than most gyms and that’s what I like about it. And then also it’s close to home.”
Notre Dame: “I like the coaching staff a lot. Their campus is probably the most different out of everybody. Their campus is really cool. It was beautiful. They had this little place where you could go and preach about the bible and all of that type of stuff. So that was really cool to see.”
Purdue: “I went to a game and it was a pretty packed game and that game was loud. I like playing in big environments and Purdue is a place that’s really good with that. Pretty much every home game is a pretty packed game.”
Cincinnati: “I went recently. I didn’t really see the campus but I went for a game. They actually played Arizona. But talked to Drew Adams, talked with the head coach. The locker room is really nice. I like the atmosphere of that. Never been in Cincinnati’s gym and it was new for me, so just being able to experience new things. And I like how they play. I like how they play fast like me. So it was a good visit.”
Right now, Gardner Jr. doesn’t have any other unofficials planned because he’s in the middle of his high school season. He’ll take some more in the summer before he starts playing with Adidas 3SSB program Indiana Elite.
What stands out on the basketball court with Gardner Jr. is his feel for the game. As a sophomore, he has a high level understanding of where his teammates will be, when to find them and when to take matters into his own hands scoring.
“I’m a very athletic guard,” Gardner Jr. said of his game. “I think I can do about everything. I just think the only thing I need to improve on is being more consistent on my 3-point shot. But I can get to the rim, and then I can make great passes. I can rebound. I can run the floor. Whatever point guard you need me to be, I can be for you.”
While he has great feel, Gardner Jr.’s athleticism is also a separator from his peers.
“He’s probably the fastest kid with the ball in his hands in the country,” Fishers head coach Garrett Winegan told ZAGSBLOG. “Just his speed and ability to make the right play while going that fast is special.
Winegan continued:
“He’s one of the best point guards in the ’27 class. But Jason’s really developed over the last year just in his ability to make plays for others. He’s such a gifted scorer. He can go out and score on any possession he wants. And he’s really developed an ability to get his teammates involved now. Coming into tonight, I think he had 92 assists on the season. So not only is he scoring at a high level, he’s running the offense at a high level and really distributing. And he’s starting to really guard and do other things. I’m really pushing him to be not just the best player in the country with the ball in his hands, but what do you do with the ball out of your hands? And he’s really getting special at that.”
Gardner Jr. is ranked the No. 21 overall prospect and No. 2 point guard in the 2027 class by 247Sports.
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